Machine for building up boards from pieces.



E.J.BELL. MAGHINE FOR BUILDING UP BOARDS FROM PIECES.

APPLIOATION IILBD NOVrQ, 1909.

Patented May 2, 1911 a SHEETS-SHEET}.

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E. J. BELL. MACHINE FOR BUILDING UP BOARDS FROM PIECES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1909.

Patented May 2, 1911.

3 SHEEISSHEET 2.

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TX 54 m4 J5 1. 2 gvwembo v J4 Patented May 2, 1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN J. BELL, 0F OSHKOSI-I, WISCONSIN.

MACHINE FOR BUILDING UP BOARDS FROM PIECES.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN J. BELL, citizen of the United States,residing at Oshkosh, in the county of Winnebago and State of Wisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines forBuilding Up Boards from Pieces, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to machines for building up .boards from pieces.

My invention provides a means for building up boards from pieces fed tothe machine and it is not necessary that the pieces be of equal widths,or the same thickness.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide mechanisms forconstructing a continuous board from pieces previously tongued andgrooved which are fed to the machine crosswise through a hopper.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for pressing thepieces together as they are fed along.

A further object of my invention is to provide a guide for alinement ofsaid pieces on one end, (one side of the board,) so that the pieces neednot necessarily be of the same length.

A further object of my invention is to provide a suflicient retard aheadof the feed and pressure behind the feed to effectually force thetongues of one piece into the grooves of the opposite piece.

A further object of my invention is to provide a means of insuring theproper insertion of the tongue within the groove in boards of varyingthickness.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention withthe table top removed, Fig. 2 is a side view of my invention, Fig. 3 isa side view and Fig. 4 a plan View in detail of one of the slidingboxsupporting standards, Fig. 5 is a plan View and Fig. 6 a side view indetail of the sliding table and pusher-head, Fig. 7 is a side view indetail of the two lobed pressure plate.

Referring to the drawing by numerals 2, 2 represents the stationarytable top, supported by legs 3, 3, 3.

4 represents the power pulley mounted on the shaft 5 journaled in boxes6, 6 mounted on the beams 7, 7, constituting a part of the table frame.The pinion 8 is carried by the shaft 5 and engages the gear 9, having aninterior cam 10. The gear 9 is mounted on the shaft 11 which isjournaled in boxes 12,

Specification of Letters'Patent.

Application filed November 2, 1909.

Patented May 2, 1911 Serial No. 525,944.

12 mounted on the beams 7, 7. The crank 13 is mounted 011 the end of theshaft 11. The pitman 14 connects the crank arm 13 with the slidingmember 15. The pusher head 16 is attached to the front end of thesliding member 15 and is carried thereby. The table 15 slides in ways18, 18. The pieces of board 17, 17, etc., are placed in the hopper 19crosswise, the tongued side to the front, and rest upon the stationarytable top 2. As the sliding member 15 carrying the pusher head 16 ismoved forward the head 16 engages the lower piece in the hopper andpushes it forward to the position shown in Fig. 2. The roller 20 thenoperating in the cam 10 causes the pusher head 16 to descend anddisappear below the plane of the stationary table-top 2, on its returnas carried by the sliding member 15. The roller 20 travels in the camgroove 10 and causes the rod 21 to reciprocate in ways 22 mounted on thebeams 7. The reciprocation of the rod 21 rocks the bell-crank levers 23,23, 23, 23 (Fig. 2) which are hung 011 shafts 2st, 2 1 journaled inboxes 25, 25, 25, 25 hung from the frame of the machine. The arms 26,26, 26, 26 of the bell crank levers are pivoted at 27, 27, 27, 27 tolugs 28, 28, 28, 28, integral with the ways 18, 18 in which the slidingmember 15 is reciprocated. As the bell crank levers 23, 23 etc. areoperated the arms 26, 26, etc, raise and lower the ways 18, 18 and thesliding member 15 and pusher head 16 carried thereby so that when thesliding member is returned by the action of the crank the pusher head iscarried back heneath the plane of the stationary table, and does notdisturb the pieces in the hopper. The shape of the cam is such and theroller is so positioned that the operation of the roller upon the camlowers the ways 18, 18 at the time the crank operates to return thesliding member and raises the ways just before the crank operates tostart the sliding member forward.

In Fig. l the stationary table top 2 which covers the entire table isremoved to show the mechanisms beneath.

Referring to Fig. 2 an opening is provided in the stationary top 2 ofsufficient width to permit the pusher head 16 to rise above the plane ofthe top. 29, 29 represent supporting standards bolted to the stationarytop. The sliding boxes 30, 30 slide perpendicularly between the jaws 31,31 provided in each standard. The shaft 32 which pressure lever at 42.

carries'the pressure rollers 33, 33, 33 is journaled in the slidingboxes 30, 30. 34, 34 represent jaws integral with each standard betweenwhich one end of each pressure lever 35, 35 is pinned at 36. Tension isapplied to the opposite end of the pressure levers 35, 35, either byweight or spring.

I have shown in Fig. 2 a spring 37 actuating a rod 38 which is hooked tothe end of the pressure lever at 39. The tension of the spring isregulated by the thumb-screw 40. The forked piece 41 is pivoted to theThe opposite end 42 impinges against the sliding box in each standard toafford downward pressure upon the sliding boxes carrying the pressurerollers. The downward pressure of the pressure rollers affords a retardto the completed board. i

Pressure plates 43 are pivoted to thelower ends of bars 45 at the point'46. The bars 45 are forked at the lower ends for the purpose of makingthis connection and plates 43 have a slight rocking motion within thefork, which motion is limited by the shoulder between the fork members.The bars 45, square in cross section slide in corresponding openings 47,47 in each angle bar 48 which is bolted to the front plate 49 of thehopper 19. Downward pressure upon the bars 45 is afforded by thepressure springs50. Perpendicular adjustment of thefront plate 49'relative to the stationary table top 2 is afforded by means of the screwbolts 51, 51 which pass through slots 52, 52 in the standard'29 andscrew into front plate 49 holding the two .members 7 together. Theobject of the mechanism is to regulate the location. of the front plate49 of the hopper 19 and the pressure plate 43 relative to the stationarytable top to adapt the machine to pieces of different thickness.

It will be observed that the pressure plate 43 has two lobes. Thetwolobes act to press against the table top the grooved edge of one pieceand thetongued edge of'the piece following for the purpose of insuring aperfect entry of the tongue into the groove. The plate 43 is permittedto rock slightly to accommodate to uneven pieces or pieces of differentthickness.

53 represents a lug integral with the sliding member 15, to which thepushershead 16 is hung on a flexible joint to permit a lateral rockingmotion. The jaws 54, 54 inclose the lug 53 and are pivoted thereto bythe pivot 55 passing through the eye 56. The construction is for thepurpose of alfording flexibility to the pressure to ac commodate wedgeshaped pieces.

The hopper 19 is open at the top and rear. The pieces are placed oneupon another and against the front plate 49, the inside ends end. Theopposite ends of the pieces need not be in alinement. The pieces neednot be of the same length. The operation of the pusherhead pushes eachpiece ahead upon the stationary table top. The tension upon the pressurerollers 33, 33, 33 serves to retard the completed board sufficiently toinsure a complete matching of the pieces by the action of the pressurebeach The two lobed pressure bars 43 press against the opposite piecesas they engage for thoroughly pressing them against the table top at thetime they are being matched.

In Fig. 2 the pressure head is shown at the forward end of the stroke.The operation of the cam then lowers the sliding member carrying thepressure head, and the return stroke is effected beneath the table topby the operation of the crank.

The operator may at any time feed a blank, a piece not tongued orgrooved to efiect a division of the complete board. By this is meant ablank of any desired length and formed either with a tongue or groove,or without either, may be placed in the hopper at any time, and willeventually be formed into the complete boards as the machine continuesto operate.

This invention is adapted to the use of boards either with or withoutglue. Usually the tongued edge is coated with liquid glue before beingplaced in the hopper.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a table arrangedthereon having an opening therein, a hopper arranged on said table andhaving one end thereof open, a pair of slide-ways, a reciprocatingpusher head mounted on said slide-ways and designed to pass into theopening and beneath the hopper, means for reciprocating said pusher headand for raising and lowering the same, a yielding pressure member forretarding the movement of the manufactured board when the pusher head ispressing a new board against the same, and a pivotally mounted memberfor pressing the adjoining edges of the manufactured board and the newboard being pressed against the same.

2. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a table therefor havinga slot therein, a hopper, a sliding member, a pusher-head carriedthereby and having pivotal connection therewith, ways for the slidingmember, a bell crank lever for raising and lowering said slide-ways,reciprocating means for operating said bell crank lever, a cam foractuating said reciprocating means for causing said bell cranklever tolower the pusher head at one of its extreme movements after the pusherhead has moved a board from said hopper against the board beingmanufactured, means for reciprocating said pusher head, and means forguiding the boards from said hopper against the board beingmanufactured.

3. In a device for building up boards, a frame, a stationary tablecarried thereby, a reciprocating member adjacent to the table, a hopperarranged above the reciprocating member, a plurality of supportingbrackets carried by the frame and provided with bearings, a platesecured to such brackets and constituting one side of the hopper, a rolljournaled in the brackets and arranged to move toward and away from thetable, adjustable means for exerting pressure on the roll, and apivotally mounted and adjustable pressure device located adjacent to theroll and arranged to engage simultaneously the edge of a board held bythe roll and the edge of a board being pressed into contact therewith.

4. In a device for building up boards, a frame, a stationary tablecarried thereby, a reciprocating member adjacent to the table, a hopperlocated above the reciprocating member, a plurality of brackets carriedby the frame, a plate carried by the brackets, the reciprocating memberbeing adapted to feed boards from the hopper to the table, a pressuredevice carried by the plate, said device including a verticallyreciprocating member and a pivoted foot portion having a limited rockingmotion, carried by such member, provided with a hollowed out undersurface, and arranged to contact with the edges of the boards while thelatter are being brought into contact with each other by the movement ofthe reciprocating member.

5. In a device for building up boards, a frame, a stationary tablecarried thereby and provided with an opening, a hopper, a reciprocatingmember mounted beneath the hopper, a pusher head carried by thereciproeating member and arranged to enter the opening in the table,means for lifting and lowering said member and pusher head as theyreciprocate, a plurality of brackets carried by the frame, a platecarried by the brackets, the pusher head being adapted to feed boardsfrom the hopper to the stationary table, a pressure device carried bythe plate, said device including a vertically reciprocating member and afoot portion carried by such member, provided with a hollowed out undersurface, and arranged to contact with the edges of the boards while thelatter are brought into contact with each other by the movement of thepusher head.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN J. BELL.

Witnesses A. R. lVArERHoUsE, ELSA M. GOETTMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

